US President Donald Trump has pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, a man convicted of running a vast cocaine trafficking empire that flooded the US with over 400 tonnes of illicit narcotics. The pardon comes despite the severity of Hernández's crimes and the Trump administration's claims to be cracking down on drug trafficking.
Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a US court for his role in a decades-long scheme that funneled cocaine through Honduras to the US market. He was seen as the key figure behind a massive narcotics network, with prosecutors alleging he had protected traffickers armed with machine guns and grenade launchers.
Trump's decision to pardon Hernández has left many experts puzzled, particularly given the administration's repeated claims to be tackling the scourge of illicit drugs entering the US. The former president was convicted on charges of accepting a $1m bribe from notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in exchange for shielding narcotics shipments.
The pardon has sparked concerns that Trump is backing allies in Honduras ahead of an upcoming presidential election, where Hernández's brother Tony was sentenced to life in prison last year. Tito Asfura, another National Party candidate, has been endorsed by Trump as the front-runner.
Hernández was extradited to the US in 2022 on charges related to his role in the cocaine trafficking scheme and died in December while awaiting trial. His pardon means he will not face justice for his crimes.
The decision to pardon Hernández has also raised eyebrows over allegations of "Biden setup" - a claim made by Trump that the former president's prosecution was orchestrated as a political ploy. However, experts argue that the case against Hernández was built on solid evidence and was the result of an independent investigation by the US justice department.
Critics are now questioning whether Trump is using pardons to reward loyal allies ahead of elections, rather than tackling real problems like the illicit drugs trade.
Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a US court for his role in a decades-long scheme that funneled cocaine through Honduras to the US market. He was seen as the key figure behind a massive narcotics network, with prosecutors alleging he had protected traffickers armed with machine guns and grenade launchers.
Trump's decision to pardon Hernández has left many experts puzzled, particularly given the administration's repeated claims to be tackling the scourge of illicit drugs entering the US. The former president was convicted on charges of accepting a $1m bribe from notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in exchange for shielding narcotics shipments.
The pardon has sparked concerns that Trump is backing allies in Honduras ahead of an upcoming presidential election, where Hernández's brother Tony was sentenced to life in prison last year. Tito Asfura, another National Party candidate, has been endorsed by Trump as the front-runner.
Hernández was extradited to the US in 2022 on charges related to his role in the cocaine trafficking scheme and died in December while awaiting trial. His pardon means he will not face justice for his crimes.
The decision to pardon Hernández has also raised eyebrows over allegations of "Biden setup" - a claim made by Trump that the former president's prosecution was orchestrated as a political ploy. However, experts argue that the case against Hernández was built on solid evidence and was the result of an independent investigation by the US justice department.
Critics are now questioning whether Trump is using pardons to reward loyal allies ahead of elections, rather than tackling real problems like the illicit drugs trade.
... I mean, come on, 45 years in prison for running a massive cocaine trafficking empire? That's like, what even is that? And now he gets a free pass and no one's doing anything about it? It's all about politics as usual, imo. Trump's just trying to help out his buddies ahead of an election, which is super frustrating 
... I mean, can't we focus on actually solving problems instead of just papering over them with pardons? 
.
...I mean, you'd think that someone who's been involved in such a massive operation would get at least 50 years in prison, right? But nope, Trump just waves his hand and says "oh well". It's like he thinks the law doesn't apply to people who are, like, super connected 
. And now Hernández is free to go back to Honduras and...who knows what? Maybe even get involved in politics again? 
I'm not saying Trump did it for political gain or anything (although that's definitely a possibility 
), but I do think he needs to explain why he's doing this pardon. Like, what about all the people who are still suffering from the harm caused by Hernández and his crew? Doesn't anyone care about them anymore? 
what's next? pardon a serial killer just 'cause it's election time in honduras lol. 400 tonnes of cocaine is wild tho, think about all the people who died from those bad habits 
and now this dude gets to live a comfy life because trump decided to be nice to his pals 
! 400 tonnes of cocaine flooding into the US and Trump just wipes his hands clean? 
It's all about coverin' his own bases, if you ask me. He's tryin' to win over Honduran voters with a big ol' favor for Juan Orlando Hernández, don't ya think? 
. I mean, we all know the real reason: he's just tryin' to curry favor with his buddies in Honduras and get re-elected 
. It's a classic move, and I'm not buyin' it! 
.
. I mean, come on, 45 years in prison for running a massive narcotics empire? That's some serious time 
. But Trump just wipes it all clean with a single swoop of his pen? 
It's like, what's the logic here? 
And don't even get me started on the "Biden setup" thing 
. It's just so frustrating when you think about all the people affected by this guy's actions 
. I guess what I'm trying to say is, pardons should be reserved for actual reform or redemption, not just for political loyalty or convenience 
. And to make matters worse, this pardon is just going to embolden these kinds of criminals even more... it's not exactly the best look for Trump's "tough on crime" act 
and meanwhile his team is all like "oh no, we're cracking down on drugs"... but we know that's just an excuse for him to give pardons to his buddies 
. I mean, come on Trump, you can do better than that